Gear Reviews

The Jetboil MiniMo backpacking stove is a canister-based camping stove system that can simmer, so you can actually cook ingredients on a smaller flame, in addition to a full-on boil like Jetboil’s other personal or group stoves systems. Specs at a Glance Volume: 32 oz (1 …

Outdoor Products Roll-Top Dry Sacks are reasonably priced dry-bag style stuff sacks that are good for organizing and packing hiking, backpacking, and camping gear in a backpack. Priced at $15 for a 3-pack, they’re an absolute steal compared to name-brand roll-top stuff …

The Superior Wilderness Designs Rugged Long Haul 50 Backpack is a lightweight backpack that’s built to handle anything, from off-trail bushwhacking and desert travel to regular backpacking and thru-hiking. There’s no exposed mesh on the exterior of the pack to rip and …

Wiggy’s is a cottage manufacturer that makes a variety of products ranging from cold weather sleeping bags to insulated outwear for the wilderness hunting/military market. Their claim to fame is insulation they call Lamilite, which is a popular synthetic insulation called Climashield …

The Borah Gear Bug Bivy is a reasonably priced bivy for use under a variety of tarps when there is mild to medium bug pressure. It can add a few degrees of warmth to your sleep setup and is also great for …

The Gregory Jade 33 is a ventilated women’s backpack with an adjustable length frame that has enough volume for lengthy day hikes.  It has a women’s specific hip belt and shoulder harness.  It weighs 43 oz and has comfort features common to …

The Osprey Talon 33 Backpack is a lightweight pack with an adjustable torso length that’s good for extended day hiking, peakbagging, and multi-sport use. Weighing 2 pounds 10 ounces, it can carry a remarkable amount of gear, it has useful pockets, and …

The REI Half Dome 2 Plus is a luxurious, but surprisingly affordable two-person camping and backpacking tent with an extra-large interior that’s perfect for couples who want more room to spread out and relax. It has a dome shape with two doors …

The Durston Gear Kakwa 40 Backpack is an ultralight, internal frame pack that weighs well under 2 pounds with a total volume of 55L including 40 liters in its main compartment plus 15 liters of additional external storage. It provides excellent weight …

The Olicamp XTS Anodized Aluminum pot has built-in heat exchange fins that reduce the amount of fuel required to boil a pot of water by about 40%. The pot, which has a 1 liter capacity, is large enough that you can fit …

Cross Bands are four-way silicone elastic bands that keep backpacking and camping cook sets closed so the lids don’t rattle when you hike. They also have a million other uses around the home, such as keeping puzzle boxes and game boxes closed, …

The Osprey Skimmer 20 is a hydration backpack designed for day hiking and travel that includes an optional 2.5-liter wide-mouth hydration system. To save space inside the backpack, the hydration system fits into a pocket behind the shoulder straps, making it easier …

The Bare Boxer Contender (Model 101) is a small bear canister with a 2-to-3 day capacity, that’s perfect for overnight or weekend backpacking trips when you don’t want to lug around a much larger bear canister. I also own a larger Garcia …

Warbonnet Outdoors has quite a large selection of hammock tarps, enough to suit anyone’s preferences. The Minifly is a 132″ x 91″ hex-style tarp with “short” doors that weighs 11.75 oz (2000mm, 20D silpoly). It’s basically a stripped down and lighter weight version …